Tears as Stray Who Is ‘Just a Kitten’ Gives Birth to Litter of Her Own

The internet has been captivated by the story of a kitten that recently gave birth to five babies, despite being less than a year old herself.

Nutmeg, a gray street cat not old enough to be considered an adult, found herself pregnant and alone on the streets when a stranger discovered her in labor and alerted West Side Cat Rescue in Buffalo, New York.

Libby Overfield, 25, told Newsweek that Nutmeg was “skin and bones and covered in fleas” when she was found, adding: “Her babies would not have survived if they had not been taken in. She is still a kitten herself, and her body works so hard to care for her babies and for herself.”

Overfield, a full-time nursing student who uses the handle @eatingcheeseiscoolyes on TikTok, fostered Nutmeg and her five babies—Hazelnut, Cashew, Walnut, Pistachio and Peanut—who were just hours old when she took them in. On August 12, she shared part of their journey on social media in a video that has garnered 2.6 million views and more than 445,200 likes.

The footage of Nutmeg snuggling up to Peanut is accompanied by text that says: “Nutmeg is just a kitten but two days ago she gave birth to five babies. Even though she’s so young, she lived her whole life alone on the streets. Even though she is tired, hungry and exhausted—I think she is grateful to finally have some friends.”

Overfield’s words serve as a reminder of the harsh realities faced by stray animals.

“There is nothing cute about kittens having kittens, and we need to do better. If you see an animal suffering on the street, you have the power to be their voice, their advocate, their way to safety, security and love,” she added.

Nutmeg’s journey to safety began when she gave birth alone on a front porch on the West Side of Buffalo. Thankfully, someone contacted West Side Cat Rescue, who reached out to Overfield to foster Nutmeg and her newborns.

“She is less than a year old herself, which is an awful fact to face. Kittens can start reproducing at just 6 months old,” Overfield added, highlighting the critical importance of spaying and neutering.

Shelters in Buffalo and across the country are overwhelmed with animals, underscoring the urgent need for responsible pet ownership.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, an animal-welfare charity in the U.K., neutering not only helps control the pet population but also contributes to longer, healthier lives for cats.

On Facebook, the City of Buffalo Animal Shelter recently shared that it faced an overabundance of cats, with every shelter and foster home filled to capacity.

At just 2 weeks old, Nutmeg’s kittens are already making progress. They have opened their eyes and are beginning to take their first steps.

TikTok has been flooded with emotional responses to Nutmeg’s story.

“This is always the most heartbreaking,” one viewer wrote.

“Had a kitten walk into my house, vet estimated she was 5 months, and she gave birth to 7 kittens. She is just getting to experience being a kitten at a year old,” another added.

Another user commented: “This broke my heart. So young, she probably doesn’t really understand these are her babies.”

Others echoed the sentiment, with one commenter remarking, “She’s just a baby.”

Nutmeg’s kittens are expected to be ready for adoption in October, when they are old enough to leave their mother.

Overfield, who hopes each kitten will find a loving forever home, said, “They would love to be adopted in pairs so that they can have a playmate to keep them company.”

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to li**@******ek.com and they could appear on our site.